Posts Tagged With ‘ Linda Ballou ’

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate                      Storm on the beach Years ago, when I lived on the beach in a pole house on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii, we loved the wild storms that would blow through, threatening to wash us away.  The wind whipped the palms wildly and scared us to pieces. But it was magical after the storm. The water would recede. It would be calm in our lagoon that was protected by a reef, and the world would be fresh and serene.                    Calm after the storm Then we would run outside to find the treasures the... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate After eleven years, I decided it was time to deliver the fruitcake my mother had sent me in 2009 just before she passed away. Mom’s Meadow I would take it to the meadow where I had scattered her ashes.  I had kept it in my freezer (even through a severe downsizing) because I just couldn’t bear to throw it out. Her fruitcake was much too heavy for me to eat, and I didn’t want to give it to anyone. Taking it to where she rested seemed a logical thing to do. The day could not have been more gorgeous. White clouds smeared across the baby... Continue Reading

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate In writing Embrace of the Wild I hope to have turned the lemons of Covid-19 into limoncello—a zesty elixir that excites and satisfies the senses. In early 2020, I returned from a whirlwind tour of Australia just in time for the Covid-19 lockdown. I was grateful to be back on U.S. soil, but in shock to see the streets of downtown Los Angeles empty.  A new world order was upon us. I had no idea how long this was to last, but I did know my travel wings were clipped and I needed to do something to save my sanity. According to many a centenarian,... Continue Reading

I was not initially familiar with the story of Englishwoman Lady Isabella Lucy Bird, so I didn’t know what to expect when I began reading Linda Ballou’s newest book, Embrace of the Wild: Inspired by Equestrian Explorer Isabella Bird. However I was lucky enough to read it just days after publication, and am pleased to tell you a little bit about the book. Right up front, let me say I was gifted this copy because Linda Ballou, an adventure travel writer, is NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate, and writes a regular column about her travels for the National Association of Baby Boomer Women. Her... Continue Reading

The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon Author: Linda Ballou http://LindaBallouAuthor.com Reviewed by: Anne Holmes for the NABBW As this book opens, life seems pretty good for Gemcie McCauley, a talented and dedicated Grand Prix jumper. She and her beautiful horse, an Irish Hunter named Marshal, whom she’s raised from a colt, are about to capture the World Cup. Gemcie and her handsome husband Jorge, live on a horse ranch owned by his parents. Billy, her longtime trainer, is a father figure for her. She’s never known her father Tom, a cowboy, who left when she was just a month old. We learn... Continue Reading

Out of the Pumpkin Shell Author: Nancy Werking Poling Website: http://www.nancypoling.com Reviewed By: Anne Holmes for the NABBW This is a book every woman facing Midlife should read. It is a story about two recently retired friends, Elise and Hattie (“Hat”), who have just ended (more like imploded) their Chicago school-teaching careers. Leery of the future, especially the part about their impending Menopause, they decide to take a journey to Bryson Mills, Indiana, birthplace of Elise’s mother, Rose. Elise wants to make the trip in order to confront some unfinished family business.... Continue Reading

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back Author: Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent http://http://heavenisforreal.net/ Reviewed by: Anne Holmes for the NABBW This is the true story of Colton Burpo, son of a small town Nebraska pastor who -at age four, during emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix — slips from consciousness and enters Heaven. The book is narrated by his father Todd and is available in instantly downloadable Amazon Kindle format. Colton survives his surgery and soon begins talking about the fact that he briefly died and went to... Continue Reading

Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai’i Her Epic Journey Linda Ballou http://www.LindaBallouAuthor.com Reviewed by: Anne Holmes for the NABBW This story of a Hawaiian woman of the 18th century, Wai-nani, is based upon the life of Hawaiian chiefess Kaahumanu. It is filled with vivid imagery and rife with details that make this time period come to life. I especially enjoyed the way the voice of the book reflects Hawaiian thinking and values. Hawai’i was a very different place in the late 1700s. Wai-nani is young, impetuous and rebellious. She is, as at home in the water as she is on land and... Continue Reading

Lost Angel Walkabout: One Traveler’s Tales Linda Ballou http://www.LindaBallouAuthor.com Reviewed by: Anne Holmes for the NABBW This is a spirited collection of travel narratives, a beautifully written collection of personal experiences of Linda’s many travels to different continents and environments. It is easy to see why Linda Ballou is a well-known adventure travel writer, each of the stories takes you to a special place and allows you to share the sensual experience of being there without straining a muscle, getting altitude sickness or losing control of your horse. Her use of words... Continue Reading